Cantonment Man Charged With Arson For Burning Salvage Yard Wrecker
February 7, 2020
A Cantonment man is facing an arson charge for setting a fire that destroyed an auto salvage business’s wrecker in 2016.
Rex Burton Hassell, 59. was charged with one felony count of second degree arson. He is being held in the Escambia County Jail without bond.
On September 2, 2016, Hassell allegedly set fire to a wrecker at Neese’s Auto Salvage on Highway 29 south of Molino. The Florida Bureau of Fire, Arson and Explosives determined the fire was intentionally set and eliminated all possible accidental ignition sources.
Hassell is the suspect in the theft of numerous vehicle and pieces of equipment in Escambia County over the last three years, and his wife has been a witness in the crimes. While she was being interviewed in October 2019, she told stated she was with Hassell in September 2016 when he burned the wrecker.
She told investigators that he burned the vehicle because the business had previously towed one of Hassell’s vehicles.
As they drove north on Highway 29, Hassell said “tonight is the night”, according to arrest report. They immediately went to the Tom Thumb in Molino where he purchased a small amount of gas. They returned to Neese Auto Salvage where Hassell instructed his wife to drop him off, drive for a short distance and return to pick him up. When the wife returned, she saw Hassell walking away from the area of the burning tow truck, the report states.
Damage to the wrecker was estimated at $5,000. Firefighters were able to contain the fire and prevent damage to a nearby building.
Picture above: A firefighter extinguishes a wrecker fire. on September 2, 2016 at Neese Auto Salvage. Pictured below: Firefighters cut the hood open on the vehicle. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Escambia Commission Votes For Renaming Part Of I-10 For Deputy Killed 30 Years Ago
February 7, 2020
The Escambia County Commission voted 3-0 Thursday night to approved a resolution in support of renaming a section of I-10 as “Deputy Don Cook Memorial Highway”.
As NorthEscambia.com was first to report on Monday, the resolution will be forwarded to the Sen. Doug Broxson and the Florida Legislature for final approval.
On December, 3, 1988, Deputy Donald Ray Cook was on his way to an off duty job in his patrol car. While monitoring his police radio, Cook learned of a high speed pursuit of armed robbers on I-10 headed into Escambia County from Santa Rosa County.
Cook responded to I-10 where he set up a roadblock in the west bound lane between the off ramp to Highway 29 and the I -10 spur near the railroad trestle. Cook exited his vehicle and the pursuit continued toward the roadblock where he was struck and killed. The suspect were taken into custody several miles away after their vehicle was disabled.
Cook was a five-year veteran of the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
“His name is engraved on the Law Enforcement Memorial in Washington D.C., and he is recognized at the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, but we have reached a point in time where our citizens need to be reminded daily of the sacrifice our officers make, especially those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. One way we could do this is to name an appropriate section of Interstate 10 in memory of Deputy Donald Ray Cook,” retired FDLE Agent Ed Hudson of McDavid wrote in an email to Senator Doug Broxson’s Office.
Six Charged With Trespassing After Allegedly Climbing Onto Byrneville Elementary Roof
February 7, 2020
Six young adults from Century and Flomaton have been charged with trespassing after allegedly climbing onto the roof of Byrneville Elementary School outside school hours.
Ashley Marie Walther, 19, Try Morris, 19, Levi Dalton Wagner, 19, Grayson Stafford, 20, Alexandria Brook Lambeth, 20, and Brandon Kyle Jones, 20, were each charged with second degree misdemeanor trespassing on school grounds. Jones was also charged with criminal mischief with property damage. All have been released from the Escambia County Jail.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to Byrneville Elementary School where the principal said an awning was damaged over a January weekend.
Surveillance video shows a golf cart with four males and a white vehicle with two females pull into the school’s parking lot before all of the individuals climbed onto the roof of the school. The video then shows a male jump onto an awning, followed by a second male that fell through the awning. Damage was estimated at $2,500. All of the individuals then left the area.
Deputies questioned Morris, Walther and Lambeth before arrest warrants were issued. Under Florida law, their statements were redacted from the arrest reports, but a deputy noted that all three were “very truthful”.
Escambia County Now A Second Amendment Sanctuary
February 7, 2020
Escambia County is now a Second Amendment sanctuary after a vote of the county commission.
On a 3-0 vote with no commissioner comment Thursday night, Escambia became at least the 27th such sanctuary county in Florida.
“The Escambia County Board of County Commissioners hereby declares Escambia County as a Second Amendment Sanctuary in order to preserve for the People of and in Escambia County, their rights guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States of America,” the resolution sponsored by Commissioner Doug Underhill states.
“Second Amendment sanctuary refers to a resolution to not expend resources to enforce gun control measures perceived as violations of the Second Amendment,” according to the county.
“….the Federal government cannot compel law enforcement officers of the States to enact or administer Federal regulations as it would disrupt the principal of ‘dual sovereignty’ by increasing the power of the Federal government beyond that which is permissible,” according to the resolution.
A copy of the resolution will be sent to Gov. Ron DeSantis. It’s largely symbolic and does not change any firearms laws or enforcement.
Neighboring Santa Rosa County also declared itself to be a Second Amendment sanctuary three days after the terrorist attack on NAS Pensacola.
Commissioners Lumon May and Robert Bender were not at the meeting.
FDEP: Gulf Power Releases 307K Gallons Of Reuse Water; Diesel Spill At Cantonment Plant
February 7, 2020
Gulf Power released hundreds of thousands of gallons of water meant for reuse into an area that drains into the Escambia River Thursday as the result of heavy rainfall, and there was a small diesel spill in the parking lot of a Cantonment manufacturing plant, according to reports from the Florida Department of Environmental Management.
Gulf Power Crist Plant
About 307,000 gallons of water stored for reuse was released as a result of a pond overflowing following the heavy rainfall at Gulf Power’s Plant Crist. The event was discovered about 6:20 a.m. Thursday and was stopped by 11 a.m. The water was released to the surrounding area that ultimately drains to Escambia River.
Gulf Power constructed a berm across the pond overflow structure and began pumping water to adjacent permitted ponds.
CEREX Advanced Fabrics
The diesel fuel spill occurred at CEREX Advanced Fabrics on Chemstrand Road Thursday afternoon.
A saddle tank on a vendor’s truck was punctured in a parking lot. Approximately 25 gallons of diesel were released during heavy rain, according to a FDEP report. The hole in the tank was plugged, pads and booms were deployed to capture floating liquids, stormwater drainage gates were shuttered and vacuum trucks were deployed to remove any fuel observed.
Bratt Elementary Names Students Of The Month
February 7, 2020
Bratt Elementary School has named Students of the Month for January. They are:
Pre-K
Trey Knighten
Ridge Odom
Kindergarten
Annalynn Hadley
Breanna Greenwell
Emma Brewer
Ruth Bryan
Caleb Madison
First Grade
Luke Craft
Sanora Martin
Joshua Brewer
Shirley Yang
Second Grade
Shalyn Summerall
Houston Smith
Rylan Johnson
Third Grade
Ava McCann
Noah Luker
Landon Barlow
Dillon Wiggins
Kintley Flowers
Fourth Grade
Hunter Parker
Owen Hobein
Ja’keriyah Jacobs
Brooklynn Reynolds
Fifth Grade
Logan Morris
Avery Stuckey
Lori Hall
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Al-Qaida Leader That Claimed Responsibility For NAS Pensacola Attack Is Now Dead, Trump Says
February 6, 2020
The al-Qaida leader that recently claimed responsibility for the deadly terrorist attack on NAS Pensacola is now dead.
At the direction of President Donald Trump, “the United States conducted a counterterrorism operation in Yemen that successfully eliminated Qassim al-Rimi, a founder and the leader of al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)”, according to a White House statement released Thursday night.
“On behalf of the thousands of patriots in Northwest Florida, I thank President Trump for his swift action in eliminating this brutal terrorist,” Rep. Matt Gaetz said. “During his State of the Union address, the President stated that any assault on our freedom would be met with overwhelming, disproportionate retribution. He has kept his word. We are a safer, stronger nation tonight because of his leadership.”
“Rimi joined al-Qa’ida in the 1990s, working in Afghanistan for Osama bin Laden,” the statement continued. Under Rimi, AQAP committed unconscionable violence against civilians in Yemen and sought to conduct and inspire numerous attacks against the United States and our forces.”
Trump said the United States and its allies are safefter as a result of his death.
“We will continue to protect the American people by tracking down and eliminating terrorists who seek to do us harm,” Trump said.
In an 18-minute video, Al-Rimi said Saudi Air Force officer Mohammed Alshamrani was a “courageous knight” and a “hero” for the NAS Pensacola attack that killed three before Alshamrani was shot and killed by two Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputies. Eight other people were wounded.
Cantonment Man Gets 25 Years For Sexual Battery Of Underage Girl
February 6, 2020
A Cantonment man was sentenced to state prison Wednesday for the sexual battery of an underage girl.
Adam Lee Bryant, 38, was sentenced by Escambia County Circuit Court Judge Jan Shackelford to 25 years in state prison followed by lifetime sexual offender probation.
Bryant entered a plea to one count of sexual battery on a victim under 12 while in the position of familial or custodial authority and one count of lewd or lascivious molestation on a victim under 12. Bryant was designated a sexual predator and will be required to register as a sexual predator and comply with all statutory requirements.
The charges stem from a September 2019 investigation conducted by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and the Gulf Coast Kid’s House.
Bryant called an adult female and confessed that he had inappropriate contact with the girl over a three year period and said he was ready to turn himself in and face his punishment, according to an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office report.
Bryant was a truck driver who would be away from home for long periods of time. When not on the road, he would sometimes be home alone with the girl because she is homeschooled, the arrest report states.
What Is A Diverging Diamond Interchange? FDOT Studying Them For I-10 Exits At Pine Forest And Nine Mile.
February 6, 2020
The Florida Department of Transportation is looking to widen I-10 from four to six lanes from near the Alabama state line to west of Highway 29 and reconstruct the interchanges at Nine Mile and Pine Forest roads as diverging diamond interchanges.
But what is a diverging diamond interchange?
A FDOT animation of a diverging diamond intersection at I-10 and Nine Mile Road is below.
According to the Federal Highway Administration, a diverging diamond interchange is a simple design innovation that improves safety and mobility, often at a much lower cost, compared to conventional interchange designs. The key to what makes a DDI work so well is how left turns are handled.
The DDI resembles a conventional diamond interchange, which is the most common form in the United States. Drivers make right turns at a DDI just as they would at a regular diamond interchange.
The crossover intersections are what make DDIs different, and they are very intuitive for the driver. The crossovers gently transition – or diverge – traffic from the right side of the road to the left side of the road and then back again. Because traffic is on the left hand side between the crossovers, all left turns occur without having to cross opposing traffic. The road geometry, signs, and pavement markings all work together to make this very simple. In cities where DDIs have been built, drivers say they don’t even notice the crossover intersections. according to the Federal Highway Administration.
FDOT held a Project Development and Environment Study meeting Tuesday evening on the potential project at Pine Forest United Methodist Church. There is no timetable, or funding, yet for construction.
Click image to enlarge.
Tate High School Chaparrals Take Fourth In Season Opening Performance
February 6, 2020
The Tate High School Chaparrals finished fourth in their first competition of the season at the Gulf Coast Color Guard and Percussion Circuit.
The Chaparrals competed with against six other winter guards in their unit Saturday night, wth 35 winter guard teams and 12 percussion teams taking part.
The Tate High School Chaparrals Winter Guard has been competing since 1972, making them one of the oldest competing high school units around. Tate High School Chaparrals have been finalists in the WGI Pensacola Regional, WGI Southeast Power Regional and won the WGI Scholastic World Class Gold Medal in 1989.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.